The province has further demanded an additional discharge of 180 cusecs water downstream Garang regulator to compensate for seven unauthorized outlets in Sindh territory, official documents available with The Nation reveal.

Balochistan has made several complaints against Sindh for stealing its share of water and has finally gone to Council of Common Interests (CCI) and demanded compensation for its share of water.

As per the minutes of the CCI’s meeting, it was stated by Balochistan that the IRSA’s dispensation to rectify reduced discharge to Balochistan or oblige Sindh to plug unauthorized outlets was not being materialized despite its clear mandate, therefore, the CCI should consider its request.

“The province of Balochistan be compensated in terms of payment of claim of Rs130.118 billion by Sindh on account of utilization/exploitation of its authorized share of water by the latter for a period 1991 to 2016,” the Balochistan province said.

For the purpose to strengthen monitoring mechanism, the IRSA may permanently arrange two assistant engineers/inspectors, one each at Kirther Canal and Pat Feeder Canal, to monitor the gauge discharge of the canals and supervise IRSA’s authorized flows, ti said.

The monitor would submit daily compliance reports to the IRSA headquarters. In addition, WAPDA may be associated with the monitoring and surveillance of the water availability, particularly with reference to maintaining pond level at Sukkur Barrage.

In order to compensate for the age-old deprivation and cater for 60 un-authorized outlets, two minors of cumulative 800 cusecs off taking from Begri Canal be constructed along both banks of Khirther Canal to irrigate command area. Alternatively, additional discharge at head regulator of North West Canal be provided by curtailing Sindh’s discharge at Rato Dero and Shahdadkot branches and such water may be allowed to flow in Khirther to make-up the losses suffered by Balochistan on account of withdrawal of 800 cusecs by illegal abstractions, the documents said.

Similarly, it was also requested that additional discharge of 180 cusecs be provided downstream Garang regulator to compensate for seven unauthorized outlets in Sindh territory.

The IRSA told the meeting that if the provinces agree, they were ready to monitor the discharge of water to Balochistan. The chief minister Sindh said that the discharge of water to north-west canal was not possible from Sukkur Barrage due to its higher level. He also assured that the government of Sindh would extend every possible support to the government of Balochistan so that the province can get water as per its allocated share.

The CCI, however, directed the chief ministers of both the provinces to mutually resolve the issue of short supply in Pat feeder and Kirther Canal.

The Indus River System Authority has succeeded to end the water dispute between Sindh and Balochistan as latter complained against the former for stealing its share of water.

Balochistan has time and again lodged a protest with IRSA that all the other provinces were getting their allocated share of water except Balochistan which had received 40 percent less water so far. Balochistan member in IRSA has several times raised the issue during the meeting of the body that they were not receiving their due share of water. According to the Balochistan government, the province had no separate canal to extract its share from the barrages and all supplies to the province were regulated by Sindh through their own system.

Due to control over the regulation system at barrages as well as the parent channels in their territory, Sindh allegedly extracted more water than apportioned to it as per the Water Apportionment Accord agreed among the provinces in 1991, leaving Balochistan in a disadvantageous position.

According to Balochistan’s complaint, the province is getting 700 cusecs less water than its approved share. It further alleged that from Pat Feeder Canal, it is getting five percent less water while from Kirthar Canal it is receiving about 46 percent less water than its share. The total demand of Balochistan for the season was 1,500 cusecs while it complained that it was receiving only 803 cusec water.